Short answer
All four exams test listening, reading, writing and speaking at level B1, but they are built differently. CILS B1 Cittadinanza has four parts of 12 points each, one 80–120 word email and a 10-minute oral1,2. CELI 2 i has reading and writing together in 2 hours, three short writing tasks and a five-part oral with civics questions3. PLIDA B1 has four parts of 30 points, the longest writing (110–150 and 70–100 words) and 3 minutes of preparation in the oral4. CERT.IT B1 has a 90-minute written block with two 50–80 word texts and an oral with a voice-message role play5.
Overview
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parts | Listening, reading and grammar, writing, speaking1 | Reading, writing, listening, oral; no separate grammar section3 | Listening, reading, writing, speaking4 | Listening, reading, writing, speaking5 |
| Written time | About 2 h 5 min with a 15-minute break6 | Booklet 1 (reading + writing) 2 h; booklet 2 (listening) 20 min3 | About 30–40 min listening, 40 min reading, 60 min writing7,4 | Listening, reading and writing together: 90 min5 |
| Oral time | About 10 min6 | 10–12 min3 | About 15 min4 | About 10 min5 |
| Total points | 4 × 12 = 481 | Written 120 + oral 40 = 1608 | 4 × 30; no total score4 | 100: listening 20, reading 30, writing 20, speaking 305 |
| Delivery | Booklet; black pen only9 | Booklets; black or blue pen10 | Paper, in person only; no online exam11 | Computer at Roma Tre; paper at accredited centres12 |
Listening
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 30 min, including time to answer6,13 | 20 min3 | About 30 min on the PLIDA website, about 40 min in the official specifications7,4 | Inside the 90-minute written block5 |
| Tasks and items | 2 tasks, 18 items: 6 multiple choice (3 options) and 12 "is it in the recording?" statements13 | 4 tasks, 28 items: 2 × 4 multiple choice, 12 statements in the same words, 8 statements in different words3 | 4 parts, 20 items: pictures as options (5 + 4), matching (6), multiple choice with written options (5)4 | 3 tasks: dialogues, 3 options (8); radio news, 2 options (7); short messages, 3 options (5)5 |
| Points | 121 | 408 | 304 | 205 |
| Plays | Each recording twice13 | Not stated in the exam description (unverified)3 | Each recording twice4 | Tasks 1 and 2 twice5 |
Reading
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 40 min6 | Shared with writing: 2 h in total3 | 40 min4 | Inside the 90-minute written block5 |
| Tasks and items | 2 tasks, 18 items: 12 "is it in the text?" statements and 6 gap-fill (3 options)13 | 4 tasks, 30 items, including 5 open gap-fill items where you write the word3 | 4 parts, 18 items: multiple choice with 4 options (6), matching (4), paragraph insertion (3), headline matching (5)4 | 4 tasks: gap-fill with 4 options (7), multiple choice (8), multiple choice on rules (8), true/false (6)5 |
| Points | 121 | 408 | 304 | 305 |
| Texts | 350–500 words13 | 700–900 words in total3 | Authentic texts, simplified by at most 10%4 | Not stated in the sources we read (unverified) |
The CERT.IT page is slightly inconsistent: the reading task points add up to 29 of 30, and the listening table and its instructions give different item counts for task 35.
Writing
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 40 min6 | Shared with reading: 2 h in total3 | 60 min4 | Inside the 90-minute written block5 |
| Tasks | 1 text, choose 1 of 2 topics2 | 3 tasks: four short answers, a formal email, an informal message3 | 2 texts from a 3-point outline4 | 2 short texts, for example a message to your building and a complaint letter5 |
| Length | 80–120 words2 | 8–15 words each, 40–50 words, 80–90 words3 | 110–150 words and 70–100 words; under the minimum the task is annulled4 | 50–80 words each5 |
| Points | 121 | 47, converted to 40; the conversion formula is not stated (unverified)8 | 304 | 20 (10 per text)5 |
Speaking
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | About 10 min6 | 10–12 min3 | About 15 min4 | About 10 min5 |
| Structure | Self-presentation (about 1 min), then a conversation on 1 of 4 topics (2–3 min)2,14 | 5 parts: self-presentation, 2 photos, comparing Italy and your country, civics, role play15 | Warm-up (about 2 min, not marked), interaction (3–4 min), monologue (3–4 min)4 | Interview, face-to-face role play, role play by voice message; 10 points each5 |
| Preparation | None stated | Up to 30 s for the role play15 | 3 min before each of the two tasks, with notes allowed4 | None stated |
| Examiners | One examiner; recorded and marked in Siena9 | Two: one talks to you, one listens and marks15 | Alone or in pairs; recorded4,16 | Face to face; recorded12 |
| Points | 121 | 40 (4 criteria scored 1–5, doubled)8 | 304 | 305 |
Scoring and pass rule
| CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i Cittadinanza | PLIDA B1 | CERT.IT B1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To pass | Reach the pass mark in each of the four parts17 | Written at least 72/120 and oral at least 11/20 (raw score)8 | At least 18/30 in each of the four skills4 | 60% of the written block (42/70) and 60% of the oral (18/30)5 |
| The number | Not published by Siena; "7 out of 12" is an unofficial estimate (unverified)17,18 | Published8 | Published4 | Published5 |
| Compensation | None between parts17 | Inside the written part, no minimum per section10 | None: there is no total4 | Inside the written block, no minimum per skill5 |
| Wrong answers | Not negatively marked1 | Not stated in the sources we read | Wrong, blank or double answers score 04 | Not stated in the sources we read |
| Fail one part | Retake everything2 | Passed written or oral part kept for 1 year10 | Passed skills kept for 18 months4 | Retake everything19 |
What this means for your preparation
- If you write slowly, look at the writing rows first: 80–120 words once (CILS), three very short tasks (CELI), two long texts (PLIDA) or two short texts (CERT.IT).
- If speaking is your weak point, compare the preparation row: only PLIDA gives you 3 minutes to prepare.
- Where each part must be passed on its own (CILS, PLIDA), your weakest skill decides the result. Where the written skills are added up (CELI 2 i, CERT.IT), a strong skill can help a weaker one.
Our free mock exams follow the CILS B1 Cittadinanza format; mocks in the exact format of the other exams are in preparation. The free practice covers the B1 skills that all four exams test.
Choosing between them? Read which certificate should I choose, the cost in B1 exam cost per certifier, and which certificates are accepted. The full guides: CILS, CELI 2 i, PLIDA and CERT.IT. Preparing? See the study plans.
Frequently asked questions
How many parts does the Italian B1 citizenship exam have?
Four: listening, reading, writing and speaking. In CILS the reading part includes grammar, and in CELI 2 i reading and writing share one 2-hour booklet.
How long is the CILS B1 Cittadinanza exam?
About 2 hours 5 minutes for the written parts (listening 30 minutes, reading 40, a 15-minute break, writing 40), plus an oral of about 10 minutes, usually in the afternoon of the same day.
Which B1 exam has the longest writing task?
PLIDA B1: two texts of 110–150 and 70–100 words in 60 minutes. CILS asks for one text of 80–120 words, CELI 2 i for three very short tasks, and CERT.IT B1 for two texts of 50–80 words.
Do I have to pass all four parts?
It depends on the exam. CILS B1 Cittadinanza and PLIDA B1 require the pass mark in each skill. CELI 2 i requires the pass mark in the written part and the oral. CERT.IT B1 requires 60% of the written block and 60% of the oral.
Is the speaking test recorded?
For CILS, PLIDA and CERT.IT, yes, according to their official documents: CILS orals are recorded and marked in Siena, and PLIDA and CERT.IT speaking tests are recorded. For CELI 2 i, two examiners are present; we did not find a recording rule in the pages we read (unverified).
What is the pass mark for CILS B1 Cittadinanza?
Siena requires the pass mark in each of the four parts but does not publish the number for this exam. "7 out of 12" is an unofficial estimate.